Bhubaneswar: An Odia woman living in Washington DC has been quietly supporting healthcare and education initiatives in Odisha.Baijayanti (Jhinu) Chhotray, a healthcare professional, has donated $5,000, the sale proceeds of her poetry book, to Trilochan Netralaya, an eye hospital in Sambalpur, for free cataract surgeries bringing together her love for literature and her commitment to giving back to Odisha. This apart, she donates Rs 5,000 every month for the education of visually-impaired students since 2018 and is now raising funds to strengthen the hospital’s infrastructure.“God has been kind to me and my family. He has given us a good life. It’s time I do for others before I leave the planet,” said Chhotray, who was brought up in Sambalpur. “I felt eye care should receive a boost, and better facilities should be available in Odisha like in other states. It prompted me to donate to the hospital,” said Chhotray.Her journey started by donating for the education of visually-impaired children. “Education boosts the self-esteem of a person, helps them support their families and takes them away from isolation,” said Chhotray.
Eye hospital site near Sambalpur
Her involvement did not end with the donation. She and many others with her are now raising funds for the hospitals’ infrastructure by reaching out to people in the US and sharing the hospital’s work with the wider community. “I was disturbed by the challenges they face in operating the hospital in two complexes, 10 miles apart, and in transferring the patients routinely from one location to the other. It’s evident that there is an urgent need for boost of infrastructure,” she said.They started a fund raising group ‘Noble Cause’ around the end of 2024. So far, $3,00,000 has been raised. The target is to raise $1 million by end-2028 for the infrastructure of the hospital. “Whatever is raised is sent to the hospital every month. The hospital has utilised the money to fence the land and level it,” said Chhotray.